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The home I grew up in sat about a mile away from a paved road, which meant muddy roads when it rained. I drove an old ‘85 white ford pickup. It didn’t have 4-wheel drive but I think it had 2-wheel drive. And if I’m remembering right, I had to get out of the truck and do something to the tires to put them into 2-wheel drive. And since I didn’t really know what I was doing, I never knew if I was about to head down the muddy road with a little extra UMPH or not.

How would you define a relationship? According to the dictionary, a relationship is the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected. It is also the way in which two or more people or organizations regard and behave toward each other. We all have a variety of relationships in our life. Spouse, parents, siblings, children, coworkers, friends, etc. All of these relationships play a huge part in all of our lives!

I think we all know exactly what it feels like to be hurt. Nevertheless, I always like to look to the dictionary to really wrap my mind around a word and all it entails. So what is the definition of hurt? It means...to cause emotional pain or anguish, to suffer pain or grief, or to cause damage or distress. I feel like the definition seems to simple when the emotions associated with being hurt can seem so complex. Do you? Is there a specific person or an event that comes to mind when you think of a past hurt? Has someone hurt you so badly that just thinking of it brings tears to your eyes or a burning anger in your heart?

So what is pressure? According to the dictionary, pressure is the burden of physical or mental distress. It can also be the constraint of circumstance: the weight of social or economic imposition.

I feel like we are approaching this prayer strategy at just the right time of year! I know the holiday season can bring a lot of added pressure to our lives if we let it. We say yes to too many things. We try to please everyone. We try to do and be everything to everyone. We want everything to be perfect for family. Can you relate to that? If it's not the holiday season, where do you find yourself feeling the constant pressure to please? Is it as a parent? An employee? A wife? A friend? Why is creating a prayer strategy for our pressures so important?

So what is purity? Purity is the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes etc.

Anything that containminates or pollutes our hearts and our relationship with God is impure. We're not just talking about sexual impurity. As Priscilla mentions in the book, impurity can be moral compromise, an unhealthy habit, and also an enticing addition. We can have impure thoughts, speak impure words, and do impure things. So why is creating a prayer strategy for purity so important?

So what is fear? According to the dictionary, fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Sweaty palms, racing heartbeat, nausea, anxiety. Fear certainly is unpleasant! You know that pit in the stomach feeling that makes you just want to hide, and curl up somewhere safe? Friend, me too! And don't you just hate that feeling? Fear will cause us to stop dead in our tracks and flee just as fast as we can in the other direction.

Maybe one we wish we could wipe clean and start again. Maybe a past filled with regret, that effects our present. Maybe it was something you did, or a decision you didn't make. Maybe it was tragedy that you still can't seem to move on from. Regardless of what it is, we all have a past. And sometimes, our past can make it difficult to live in the present, in the way God intends for us to live. So why is creating a prayer strategy for our past so important?

Have you put together your prayer strategy for identity? I hope so! This week we are moving on to Prayer Strategy number four, family! Family, where life begins and love never ends. I'm sure you've all heard this popular quote, and it's probably something we can all resonate with. I think that deep, unconditional love is what makes family so special to each of us. No matter what we've gone through, or the hurts we've inflicted on one another, or the time that's passed between visits, family is family. And we all have this deep, inherent love for the people in our family. So why is prayer for our family so important?

Have you put together your prayer strategy for focus? I hope so! This week we are moving on to Prayer Strategy number three, Identity! So what is identity? Identity is the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. Our identity is who we are. I know this prayer strategy will be one I go back to often.

Have you put together your prayer strategy for passion? I hope so! This week we are moving on to Prayer Strategy number two, Focus! If you're just joining us, come on in! So what is focus? Focus is the center of interest or activity. It is also the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition. Now, I feel like this Prayer Strategy is very important and relevant, especially in the world we live in today.

I'm so excited to kick off this Prayer Strategy series! This week we are walking through our first prayer strategy on passion! So what does the word passion mean? The definition of passion is a strong and barely controllable emotion and an intense desire or enthusiasm. It's a powerful and compelling emotion. When I think of the word passion, I think of that feeling you get when you feel fired up and overly enthusiastic about something! (Insert all the praise hands here. ha!) So why is praying for passion important?

Welcome to our blog series on Prayer Strategy! Over the next several weeks we will be walking through the book Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. This book outlines 10 different prayer strategies and encourages you to craft your own prayer for each strategy at the end of each chapter.

And as I was scrolling through Pinterest, I came across a War Binder! The perfect solution for those of us with limited space in our homes! A single binder that can go where you go, a place to keep track of your prayers, and imprint scripture on your heart. I loved it!

April showers bring May flowers....and what a beautiful month May was!What started out as a dream several years ago, came to fruition last month... Live Oak Boutique opened for business on May 14th, which also happens to be my birthday! I chose to officially launch the online boutique on that day because I know my life is a gift from God, and so is this business He has entrusted me with. It's been such a blessing to look back on my life and see how God's hand has been over it all, orchestrating every part of my story. That's not to say that the last several months, maybe years, haven't come with their own shares of up and downs. Isn't that life for everyone though?

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Kayla. It's nice to meet you! I love Jesus, my family, and friends, and I feel so blessed to be able to design and create for Live Oak Boutique. It is absolutely a dream come true!

Since this is my first post, I wanted to share a little bit of my backstory and how Live Oak Boutique came to be.